In the first part of this four-part series, we took an overview of the many issues relating to successful refuse fleet maintenance. In this second part, we'll step inside the garage to examine in depth the challenge of keeping the refuse trucks running.

By Lynn Merrill

What's Pulling Up to Your Door?
Inside the Bays
Wrestling With Hydraulics in Siloam Springs
Writing Up Squawks in Fayetteville
Managing Priorities in El Paso
Teaming for Success in Los Angeles
Training the Technology Technician

The challenge of maintaining the refuse fleet is a multiteam effort that requires all the players to be on the same field. Without this team effort focused on doing everything right the first time, breakdowns in equipment, shortages, and frustration are sure to follow.

What's Pulling Up to Your Door?

Depending on the type of trucks you're operating, keeping them in top condition, out on the street, and making money can drive a fleet manager crazy. The typical refuse truck consists of two major components: the chassis and the body. The chassis consists of the engine, transmission and cooling system, drive train and suspension system, wheels, axles, and tires. This system is mounted into a frame that must withstand the twisting, tweaking, and bending that the variable weights and rough drive surfaces place on this structural system. Add to this system a cab to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the driver and that contains all the electronic interfaces, microprocessors, communication, and electrical equipment.

Put on the back of this system a custom-built metal box designed to contain up to 12 tons of acidic, abrasive materials without structurally distorting or eating through the metal surface. A separate rear door for emptying the box is required that might provide additional volume and that opens using a hydraulic lift system. Add a mechanism to either push out this putrid mass through the rear opening or that has the power to lift the entire body upward to allow it to dump. Install a curb-to-box interface system - either a rear-loading hopper that sweeps dumped trash into the box, a manual or semi-/fully automated side-loading mechanism, or a set of front-mounted forks - and the box is complete. Put on a hydraulic system - with its collection of cylinders, pumps, filters, and hoses - to make everything move, and you've got a trash truck.

Because the two systems are from different manufacturers and assembled from a variety of components from a host of suppliers, you have to be concerned about interfacing these pieces so that they reliably function together. More importantly, for the sake of your fleet manager, you want to be able to repair and easily maintain all the components without having to disassemble the entire body. Upholding this complex system is what challenges fleet maintenance operators.

Inside the Bays

Now that you understand this complex vehicle that's going to pull into your maintenance bay, let's look at some of the requirements inside the bays. To properly maintain a trash truck, you've got to have a facility that has the physical capability to accommodate the truck and the equipment needed to perform a variety of repairs and services on it. The number of trucks and equipment that must be maintained will determine the physical number of bays within a garage. While the private sector often has the luxury of needing to focus only on trash collection vehicles, the typical municipal-sector garage might have to handle everything from police cars, pickup trucks, and passenger cars to fire trucks and street maintenance equipment. The trash truck might be right up there with the police car when it comes to priority, but the facility and staff will constantly be juggling schedules and assignments to keep everything running and everyone happy.

Your garage should have the capability of performing all running repairs on the truck in order to keep it in service. Typically these will include all preventive maintenance functions, such as fluid changes, safety inspections, and component change-outs. Your mechanics must be able to get to all parts of the vehicle safely and conveniently, so your facility might include an inspection pit that allows the mechanics to access the undercarriage or either permanent or portable lifts that will raise the truck. If stationary or portable lifts are used, the inside ceiling height must be high enough to accommodate the vehicle. Portable stairways or hydraulic platform lifts should also be used to provide access to the sides and roof of the trucks.

Your facility must have proper health and safety features as well. If the garage is operating in a climate with harsh winters or blistering summers, heating and cooling systems might need to be included in the overall layout. If it will be necessary to operate a truck inside the garage, exhaust-gas handling systems will be needed, or you could get a visit from your friendly Occupational Safety & Health Administration inspector concerned about toxic gas exposure. The facility must also include sufficient warehousing capability for parts and fluids and office space for preparing service orders, maintaining records, and other administrative support functions.

Depending on the size of your fleet, major component rebuilds can be performed in-house or can be contracted to outside vendors. The decision to perform these repairs or rebuilds in-house might be based on additional specialized diagnostic or repair equipment. For most shops, these major repairs are time-consuming and require specialized training to perform, so you'll find in most cases that it's more cost-effective to send out these repairs to qualified vendors. Structural component repairs are another area of consideration. While it might be practical to maintain the capability to perform structural welding for emergency repairs, farming out major rebuilds of packer cylinders, floors, and body components might be better.

Staffing is constantly a major issue for fleet operations, and determining the proper ratio of mechanics to equipment can be affected by a variety of issues, particularly the type of equipment you use. Automated sideloaders require more mechanical attention than do rearloaders because of the hydraulic system and moving parts. The age of the fleet can also be a factor, with older fleets requiring more repairs than newer fleets. Finally, a more proactive preventive maintenance and vehicle replacement program means fewer major breakdowns and repairs on the back end, which could reduce your total staffing level.

In assessing the level of staffing, you should consider the total mix of the fleet, not just the refuse collection vehicles. Using a concept called vehicle equivalent units (VEUs), first developed in the United States Air Force, different types of vehicles require different numbers of mechanics. The primary component of measure for VEUs is the passenger car and the required mechanic to maintain it. The staffing needed to maintain a trash truck is the equivalent of maintaining 10-15 passenger cars in the fleet. For some decision-makers, this concept can be difficult to understand and can lead to understaffing if you don't take the time to provide them with a good education.

Today's mechanic must be familiar with electronic diagnostic systems and have a working knowledge of hydraulic systems, electronics, internal combustion, power trains, and suspension systems. With the emphasis on electronic transmissions and engine systems that manage for fuel efficiency, air quality, and operations, computer literacy is also a critical skill. And in some areas of the county, most notably in southern California with the upcoming requirement for alternative-fueled refuse trucks, the mechanics must be familiar with this type of technology (see sidebar).

Wrestling With Hydraulics in Siloam Springs

For Donald Mullikin, garage maintenance manager for the City of Siloam Springs, AR, just trying to keep the vehicles roadworthy and ready to do their jobs can be a large challenge, even with a small fleet. The city operates four rearloaders and three rolloff trucks to provide service to all residential and commercial customers, but Mullikin's staff of three mechanics, including his shop foreman, is responsible for the city's entire fleet. "I've got lots of other equipment," he says, "but these trucks take some priority. These trucks run more than any other equipment we have. They're on the go every day, and they take a beating." On any given collection day, three of the four rearloaders are out on the routes.

The biggest maintenance issue for Mullikin is the hydraulic systems on the trucks. "That's the majority of the work that we do on them. Mainly it's cylinders that start leaking, plus the hydraulic hoses and a lot of steel lines." Mullikin's shop foreman attended classes on hydraulics to develop the needed expertise within the city. He sees the training as part of an overall benefits package that's designed to retain his staff for as long as possible. "I keep trying to send the men for schooling, and I try to give them as big a raise as I can. I haven't had a lot of turnover." He's had two turnovers in a little over four years.

Mullikin believes that the city's active vehicle replacement program has contributed significantly to the reliability of the fleet. "The sanitation department has been getting some new equipment. They've got two trucks this year. The city is pretty good about replacing equipment used on a daily basis. It realizes that the equipment is not going to last forever." Mullikin estimates that no more than 8-10% of the repairs are being sent out of his shop and takes pride in being able to do the majority of work in-house. "We try to do it all here in the shop," he states. While he feels that his staff has a good working relationship with the drivers of the trucks, he also feels that the drivers need to be part of a team effort. "It's got to be up to the drivers to take care of the equipment, to try to keep it greased. That probably causes us as much problem as anything, with things wearing out sooner than if they were properly maintained on a daily basis."

Writing Up Squawks in Fayetteville

Farther up the road in Fayetteville, AR, Bill Oestreich, fleet operations superintendent, is responsible for a total of 487 pieces of equipment, including a fleet of 26 refuse trucks. The refuse collection trucks range from five recycling trucks, two in bulky-item pickup using cranes and rolloff combinations, and a remaining fleet mix of both rearloaders and frontloaders. Using a 12-bay shop, Oestreich's staff of 11 mechanics provides coverage from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the city's fleet.

The first line of defense for keeping the trucks rolling is the pre- and post-trip inspections. "They'll write up their problem areas or incidents that need to be corrected," explains Oestreich. "Normally it should be handled when the truck comes in. The units, when they come into the shop for any problems, get a full inspection by the technicians to make sure there isn't something that the driver might have missed."

The second line of defense is the 3,000-mi./90-day inspection by the shop. "At that time we give them an A-series, which is lube, oil, filter," Oestreich reports. "Then at 20,000 miles they get the transmission service, air cleaner, hydraulic filters, items like that. Our vehicles really don't run, mileagewise, past the point of needing scheduled replacement parts. We get them in close enough timewise that we can judge each vehicle individually as far as brakes, tires - things like that - rather than say at x number of miles we're going to do brakes. With the diversity of our fleet and the terrain that we've got, if one runs the north side of town and the other one runs the south side of town, the north-side truck is going to end up with a set of brakes probably with 25% less mileage on them because of the hills."

Oestreich makes certain that his mechanics receive a variety of training from various sources. "Normally we have manufacturer-based seminars," he states. "We send them off to the factory or the distributor. We've got all our people certified for air-brake repairs. We've got a little more than half who have air-conditioning certification." To ensure that the city finds and keeps mechanics, Oestreich works closely with the local technical school. "I've got two young men who graduated from a local vocational school that's got an excellent heavy-duty truck diesel class. We tend to lean that way. We're not necessarily looking for somebody who's got 20 years' experience, but if somebody's got a little bit of background, that makes him more trainable. The two oldest people we've got here are both good educators because they can lead and explain to somebody who's got some basic knowledge and common sense."

The biggest challenge for Oestreich and his staff is what comes through the door each day. "Every day is a fresh day and a fresh challenge," he notes. "If it's cold, it's cold-related items. If it's hot, it's heat-related items. Some days everything just clicks smoothly, and it'll go that way for two weeks and then everything breaks loose at once. As many years as I've been at it, you really can't plan far enough ahead with this number of vehicles, especially with the diversity that we have."

Managing Priorities in El Paso

With four shop locations and 2,500 pieces of equipment to maintain, Jeffrey A. Belles, director of equipment maintenance for the City of El Paso, TX, juggles his priorities between making sure the city's police fleet and refuse fleets are out the door and satisfying the rest of his city customers. "We have to put the police department on the road, and our shops' primary focus is doing the police cars," he says. "My top two customers are police and solid waste. We will do whatever we have to do to put 18 automated trucks out every day."

The city is in the process of phasing out the existing fleet of 82 rearloaders in favor of automated trucks. The city purchased 10 trucks in 1997 and 13 trucks in 2000 and is adding 10 trucks in 2001. The city's main shop has 42 bays and is adjacent to the solid waste department's main operation. Two other three-bay shops provide support to additional refuse trucks assigned in the outlying areas of the city.

The biggest challenge for Belles is recruiting and retaining a qualified staff. He has a staff authorization of 85 technicians, although he's currently got 15 vacancies. "We have temps in here trying to help us keep up with the workflow." He feels that once he gets technicians, he can keep them in his system, but finding qualified technicians is constantly a challenge. He works with the community colleges to help grow qualified mechanics. "I'm involved on the boards to develop a curriculum for the degree for diesel technicians," he states.

Educationally, mechanics only need a high school education, but Belles prefers applicants who have a couple of years of experience, if possible. "The guys that are working on the trucks obviously need some background in hydraulics," he says. "Most of our technicians who work on the rearloaders have been working here more than 10 years. The newer guys seem to be a little more up to speed on the electronics as well as the hydraulics. About half of our technicians are ASE [Automotive Service Excellence]-certified in at least one or two areas. It's not a requirement, although we do encourage them and we do pay for the ASE test." In addition, Belles sends his technicians to the various manufacturers' schools in order to obtain specific training on the engines and transmissions.

Belles' staff is well qualified to handle the majority of repairs on the trucks, and outside vendors only see specialized work. "The only stuff we send out is warranty body work," he points out. "We don't do glass; that's all contracted out. If they blow up a motor, we just buy one and replace it ourselves, but we won't rebuild it."

Teaming for Success in Los Angeles

For the City of Los Angeles, six divisional repair facilities staffed with 173 employees, including 14 supervisors, 105 mechanics, 14 welders, 11 body repairers, and 25 garage attendants, work from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. five days a week. They ensure that the city's 9,000 vehicles, including the Sanitation Department's 687 refuse collection vehicles, are properly repaired and maintained. Because of the sheer size of the operation, the city's Fleet Services Division has specialized equipment, including transmission dynamometers, a hydraulic cylinder tester, and diagnostic equipment for the electronic controlled engines, transmissions, and antilock braking systems. Except for warranty work, outside vendors are rarely required.

"We emphasize teamwork in our shop," states Victor Martin, equipment superintendent. "We run two shifts, and a lot of effort goes into ensuring a cooperative team effort between the shifts. That helps it run smoothly through the organization when it comes to working on a truck."

Martin credits the computerized vehicle management system with sustaining control over scheduled maintenance. "We can plan weeks ahead to see if we might have six trucks due on one day and two on the previous day. Instead of keeping to that schedule, we split up the days so one day isn't so impacted. Our shops are staffed with a larger work force at night, so most of the work is done in the evenings when the trucks are idle. Sanitation operators identify repairs to be made at the end of their shift, allowing the repairs to be made and the truck to be ready the next morning. Our Œon schedule' record averages between 98% and 100% while contributing to the 100% fleet availability that our customers enjoy."

Use of oil testing and monitoring has also contributed to more solid control over the preventive maintenance program, Martin says. "Through a testing program with the engine manufacturer, we monitored the oil through our normal 10-week cycle and then extended that until the oil showed signs of failure. Then we brought it back after a few weeks, so now with our service intervals, when we do the 90-day inspection we only have to change the oil every other time, which really helps us out."

In Part Three, we'll explore the driver's role and field operations effect on maintenance. Part Four will examine the challenge of managing trucks as capital assets.

Frequent contributor Lynn Merrill is director of public services for the City of San Bernardino, CA.

Part One of our series was an overview of the refuse fleet maintenance challenge.
In Part Three, we step out into the ready line to explore the impact that drivers have on maintenance of the refuse fleet.

MSW
March/April 2001